Vale S.A., formerly Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, is a Brazilian multinational corporation engaged in metals and mining and one of the largest logistics operators in Brazil. Vale is the largest producer of iron ore and nickel in the world. It also produces manganese, ferroalloys, copper, bauxite, potash, kaolin, and cobalt, currently operating nine hydroelectricity plants, and a large network of railroads, ships, and ports used to transport its products.

Although the company's primary operations are in Brazil, Vale is present in over 30 countries. The company is listed on the stock exchanges of São Paulo, New York City, Jakarta, Paris and Madrid.

The company’s milestones:

1942: Companhia Vale do Rio Doce was founded in Itabira, Minas Gerais, by the Brazilian Federal Government on 1 June 1942.

1950s: marked Companhia Vale do Rio Doce's entry into the global iron ore market, after the company's mine-railroad-port complex was modernized and iron ore prices doubled.

1966: the company inaugurated in Espirito Santo the Port of Tubarão, which was to become the most important port for CVRD and is still used to export iron ore mined from the Iron Quadrangle in Minas Gerais.

1970: The company won most of the profits in the Carajás Mine, with more than 1.5 billion tons of iron ore in reserve.

1974: Vale became the world's biggest exporter of iron ore, a title which it still holds today.

1982: Vale began to diversify after it started to produce aluminium in Rio de Janeiro.

1986: Ponta Madeira port terminal, which is still used to export iron ore mined at the Carajás Mine, was inaugurated in the state of Maranhão.

May 2000: the company also acquired a controlling interest in Samitri, one of the biggest pelletizing companies of Brazil.

2000-2006: Vale invested more than $1.3 billion on the acquisition of over 361 locomotives and around 14,090 freight cars, those locomotives were primarily for iron ore transportation, but some were for regular cargo.

2001: Vale increased its copper mining operations by purchasing the Sossego mine in Carajas, in northern Brazil, for $48.5 million.

2005: Vale acquired Canico Resource, owner of a nickel mine in Brazil, after increasing its offer to $865 million.

2007: Vale made a major entry into coal mining by acquiring AMCI Holdings Australia for AU$835 million.

November 2007: the company retired the name CVRD in favour of simplified company name of Vale, and rebranded.

2011: Vale started entering the shipping business by ordering 35 Very Large Ore Carriers (VLOC) to transport iron ore between South America and Asia.

2014:

• Sales of iron ore fines and pellets represented 65% of total company revenues. Vale sold 256 million metric tonnes of iron ore fines and 44 million metric tonnes of iron ore pellets.
• Sales of nickel represented 17% of total company revenues in 2014. Vale sold 272,000 metric tonnes of nickel.

2021: Vale was considered the most valuable company in Latin America, with an estimated market value of US$ 111 billion.

May 2022: Vale said that it had signed a long-term deal of supplying nickel for Tesla.

According to Wikipedia